We're Poppin' Fresh

with the Pillsbury Doughboy

October 2018 Issue

by Lindsay GiffordRecipes, photos and information provided by Pillsbury

The iconic “Hoo Hoo!” giggle of the Pillsbury Doughboy has been stirring up kitchens across America since 1965. Poppin’ Fresh—yes, the doughboy has a name—was created to help advertise Pillsbury and grew to be the adored brand mascot with lasting star power. He’s been in more than 600 ads for 50 Pillsbury products. From buttery biscuits to flaky piecrusts, this mega-brand has been bringing families to the table for unforgettable fare for nearly 150 years.

Pillsbury “popped” up when Charles Pillsbury began the company in 1869 from a few flour mills situated in Minneapolis on the banks of the Mississippi River. With high quality products, delicious recipes and vast appeal, Pillsbury’s portfolio has grown to more than 125 products. More than four million Pillsbury fluffy, golden biscuits are enjoyed every day in America. And, we bake more than 17,000 batches of Pillsbury cookies per hour during the Christmas season.

Pillsbury’s mission is simple, “We believe in helping families make memories through food, from spending time together around the kitchen table to creating new baking traditions.” They strive to help homemade moments become extra special—and delicious!

Always on the guest list, whether for a summer picnic, tailgate party or holiday, Pillsbury adds yummy comfort and a lot of “mmmmm’s.” Affordable and convenient, their versatility is hard to surpass. Pillsbury’s dedication to its mission goes beyond stocking grocery stores shelves. Taking their customers into great consideration, the Pillsbury Website is a valuable resource and one of the top-five food content Websites in the world. Pillsbury.com features 15,000 easy, delicious recipes for every meal, a large collection of how-to videos, holiday specialties and so much more. In fact, we dove right in and pulled some of our favorite recipes just for you; plus you can pop over to page 26 for a few Halloween themed recipes. Just imagine how hard it was for us to choose only 13 recipes. Now, it’s your turn to make everyday food moments into cherished lifelong memories. Hoo Hoo!

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, mix chicken, bacon, cheese and dressing until well mixed. Unroll dough on cutting board. Press into 12x8-inch rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. With pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 12 squares. Spoon about 1 Tbsp chicken mixture on center of each dough square. Sprinkle with green onions. Bring 4 corners together to overlap slightly in center at top of each bundle. Twist and pinch to seal, leaving small gaps between seams. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with additional ranch dressing, if desired.

Expert Tips: 1) Shape these bites up to 2 hours ahead of time; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Add a few minutes to the bake time. Recipe by Pillsbury.

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake biscuits as directed on can. Set aside. Position oven rack 4 inches from broiler. Set oven control to broil. Line 18x13x1-inch rimmed sheet pan with heavy-duty foil; spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, toss onion, pepper, mushrooms, 2 Tbsps of the vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp of the steak seasoning; mix until evenly coated. Transfer vegetable mixture to sheet pan in single layer, allowing room for steak. In same bowl, add remaining 2 Tbsps oil and remaining 1 Tbsp steak seasoning. Add steak; rub mixture into steak. Transfer steak to pan with vegetables. Broil 9 to 11 minutes, stirring vegetables once, until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of steak reads 135°F (for medium). Transfer steak to cutting board; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir vegetables, and return to oven 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Thinly slice steak into strips on the bias, against the grain. Cut longer strips in half. Return to pan with vegetables, mixing to combine. Top with shredded cheese; return to oven 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. To assemble sandwiches: Split biscuits; top biscuit halves with beef, cheese and vegetable mixture, and top with remaining biscuit halves.

Expert Tips: 1) Shredded mozzarella cheese is a great substitute if you’re having trouble finding the cheese blend. 2) You may notice some watering out on sheet pan after baking, which is normal. Simply pour off the liquid before serving. 3) These sandwich toppings would be great on a hoagie bun or a topping for pizza! Recipe by Pillsbury.

Heat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch ovenproof skillet, cook sausage, onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Remove mixture from skillet; set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs and cream. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, the pepper flakes and sausage mixture. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 6 pieces. Spread oil in bottom of skillet. Place biscuits in skillet. Pour sausage mixture over biscuits. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set and crust is deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Expert Tips: 1) Chorizo, a coarsely ground pork sausage highly seasoned with garlic, chili powder and other spices, is widely used in Mexican and Spanish cooking. Spicy pork sausage can be used in this recipe instead of the chorizo. 2)This recipe can also be made in a cast-iron skillet as directed. Don't have an ovenproof skillet? Bake in a greased or sprayed 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set and crust is deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Recipe by Pillsbury.

Heat oven to 400°F for nonstick sheet pan (425°F for all other pan types). Place oven rack in low position. Unroll dough with oven-safe parchment paper onto ungreased large cookie sheet (dough bakes on paper). Nonstick parchment paper will brown during baking. Brush with olive oil. Top crust with tomatoes and garlic. Thoroughly pat mozzarella cheese pearls dry to prevent crust from getting soggy and top crust with mozzarella cheese. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until bottom of crust is golden brown. Top with basil.

Expert Tips: 1) Seek out smaller basil leaves for this recipe. If your basil leaves are larger, chop or thinly slice them before placing on pizza. 2) For extra flavor and a beautiful garnish, drizzle with more olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Recipe by Pillsbury.